Emirates Team New Zealand win the 36th America's Cup - photo © ACE / Studio Borlenghi
Dear Recipient Name
So ETNZ has lifted the America’s Cup back into place on its plinth at the RNZYS, and now I can get back to work of a morning (but I did enjoy the excuse while it lasted). Congratulations to the Kiwis, commiserations to the Luna Rossa boys, and whole box of biscuits to PJ Montgomery, ‘The Voice of the AC’ for the best commentary line of all: “Kiwis can fly!” How long had he been storing that one up?
As soon as one AC finishes, another starts. The Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, have accepted a Challenger of Record in the shape of Ineos Team UK representing the Royal Yacht Squadron, and the rumours have started already. What would the America’s Cup be without rumours and reports of shenanigans? Just another yacht race, I guess. We have heard that there’s going to be a one-on-one challenge match between ETNZ and Ineos, one lap around the Isle of Wight in the present AC75 class boats. In case you didn’t spot the ‘China Sports Industry Group’ branding on the mainsail right above Peter Burling’s head, we have heard that ETNZ are planning an America’s Cup in China, or a World Series event at least. We have heard that the Italians are never coming back because Patrizio Bertelli doesn’t like the “spider boats”. We have heard…
We have also heard any number of suggestions for making the AC ‘better’. I think we have to accept that some sort of foiling boat is here to stay, the America’s Cup being at the cutting edge of design and tech and all that, even though as one 15-year old sailor friend remarked, “It’s not really my ambition to spend my time on a boat pumping hydraulic fluid.” Even if you don’t like it, it’s too late now to put the (foiling) cat back in the bag, so here are some suggestions for improving the America’s Cup:
• Catamarans
• Longer legs
• No course boundaries
• Like a balloon race – points for spiking a mark
• All crew have to chug a beer at each mark
• Or a triple vodka shot
• Throw one man overboard at each mark rounding
• Bring back spinnakers
• Persico 69 type foils
• Imoca foils
• Box rule
• One Design
• 100% crew nationality rule
• Afterguard nationality rule
• Racing offshore
• Guaranteed split at marks
• One top mark only – boats round in opposite directions
• Bigger start box
• Unlimited start box
• 4-min prestart
Plenty of food for thought there! You can’t please all of the people all of the time, but ‘if you want to change the format - simple – win the Americas Cup’. Thank you, Skip Lissiman, for that perfectly sensible suggestion.
There have been plenty of comparisons between the AC and F1 motor racing. “Pretty dull, but technically cool,” said one commentator. “It catches the attention at the start, and after that there’s the awful fascination that something might happen – but it rarely did.”
Top highlights of AC36?
1. American Magic trying to live up to her Boeing sponsorship.
2. Ineos Team UK beating Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in the last race of the Prada Cup Qualifiers.
3. Race 9 of the America’s Cup Series. That was a keeper for all time.
And now back to normality. The actuality of the Tokyo Olympics (23 July-08 August 2021) is still a bit doubtful, but Japan has vowed that the event will happen in some form or other, so qualifiers have to take place. In Asia, the last qualifying regatta will be the Mussanah Open Champs 2021 / Asia & Africa Olympic Games qualifier, in Oman, 01-08 April 2021. There are two qualifier slots available in the Laser Radial class, and one each for Laser Standard, 49er, 49er FX, RS:X Women and RS:X Men. HKG Team Captain Jamie Boag says, “We have plenty of experience of sailing in hot and light conditions, and our team is exceptionally well-acclimatised having been in the UAE since before Christmas. All of our sailors are fully capable of qualifying. From here on it is mostly down to faith and self-belief.” The Hong Kong team consists of Stephanie Norton (Laser Radial), Nicholas Bezy (Laser Standard), Akira Sakai/Russell Aylesworth (46er), Molly Highfield/Sandy Choi (49er FX). Nancy Highfield is also competing in the Laser Radial class.
Sail-World Asia wishes all the Asian national teams the best of luck for the Qualifiers.
Standing by on 72.
Guy Nowell, Asia Editor, Sail-World.com
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